I HAVE TO ADMIT I'M NOT a great fan of the BBC but there was a weather bloke telling of what is to come.
And it ain't looking too good for the future of our waterways.
He telling about El Nino that is somewhat out of kilter and warming up the Pacific Ocean that is increasing the chances of the next year being the hottest ever since records began, that could result in temperatures 3 degrees over normal and so leaving it drier than ever.
Bad news indeed—should it come to pass.
Going nowhere
Last year our September cruise left us going from Mercia to the Trent at Alrewas and then back. Then come our Spring cruise this year and to make sure we had some cruising hired a boat on the Lancaster Canal and it was the slowest cruise ever, but being new to us bother it okay. The picture shows the only 'obstruction' on the Lancaster Canal—a swing bridge.
But alas things are now worse on the whole system with no less that eight stoppages over the last Thursday and Friday, which is certainly not good for cruising, and could even be worse come a fortnight's time for our September cruise, with the announcement in Canal & River Trust's Blag Rag (as our Keith calls it) of the number of closures and restrictions.
So we are going nowhere. And feel for you who are, and particularly hiring and the hire companies who are so struggling against so many closures.
20 years ago
Cast your mind back 20 years to 2006 told Alan Yates is his feature.
So I shall, and peruse our log book that tells we did the Leeds & Liverpool in the September of that year.
The picture shows part of the Wigan Flight that is at present closed.
With someone taking the boat down to Cromwell Lock at the start of the tidal Trent, then our taking over down the river to Keadby, on to the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation, them the New Junction Canal, on to the Aire & Calder Navigation then the Leeds & Liverpool Canal along through all the flights and swing bridges to the Bridgewater Canal, with not a single stoppage in sight, where someone brought the boat back to Sawley Marina for us,, where it was then moored.
Those were the days of eight hours or more, when everything was new and interesting.
And ner a single stoppage. In fact we cruised from 1997 right up to when the Canal & River Trust took over with only one stoppage on a lock on the Atherstone Flight of the Coventry Canal that had a broken cill yet was completed in a couple of days.
Here's the picture of a British Waterways man showing us that the middle of the canal is not the deepest, as is too often told. In fact there are many misconceptions that are told, especially about locking.
Llangollen Canal problem will take months
The Llangollen is not looking good at all, yet a favourite with hirers and hire companies who are certainly getting it rough nowadays.
The further problem is the leak/breach (take your pick) at Swanley Lock 1.
We are told that the trust's teams and engineers have carried out detailed surveys and investigations of the damage that includes the canal bank, towpath and culvert.
No work yet as findings are being reviewed with technical specialists that will help form the design of the repair and tell of the works required.
Oh yes, the team will also need to carry out even further investigations before anything can be done.
So we have teams, engineers and now technical specialists but still nothing accomplished. With the bad news being that the permanent repair works will take months to complete! That's from when it starts.
Oh yes, normal water flows continue so the Hurleston Reservoir is okay, thank you very much. Here's a picture of another breach on the Llangollen Canal, with enough water (?) for Hurleston Reservoir.
And boaters?—hard luck mates, there's no way on the canal and no way off.
Victor Swift—telling tales for 26 years